WIP Wednesday

Here's what's in progress in my studio today.  A zippered pouch.  I am upcycling an old pair of pants for the background.  I got it mostly together but have stalled out!You can see the black zipper up there waiting to be added.  I am planning some hand embroidery in red - just some simple straight stitching down each side or around the patchwork.  Then it can join the other completed zip pouches. :)

 

And on another note:

 

 

 

 

Wild stitching project number 2 is still in the works, too.  It will most likely end up as a pillow to go with this one.

 

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Hop over and see what everyone else has been up to!

Art Journal in the Works

Inspired by Jenniebellie's tutorial on making a journal from cereal boxes, I pulled out the paint and created a pile of painted cardboard and papers.  Included in this heap are also some drawings and ATCs I had laying around in the studio.

I am not making the same style of journal as Jenniebellie, so I have cut my cereal box paintings into different sizes/shapes.  I cut all the little pieces - the tops and sides off, too.  I think they will make cool embellishments to the pages.

I love the idea of upcycling empty boxes and junk mail.  Why waste all that free cardboard and paper? Just think about all the trees that went into all those cereal boxes.  Gesso, paint, collage and fabric can turn it into something fun, creative and useful.

I'm working on getting the journal together now.  Got a few ideas circulating in my head . . .

Do you like to upcycle stuff for your  art journals?

Linking up with Paint Party Friday and Art Journaling Everyday

Another Wild Stitch Project in the Works

I enjoyed the last one so much  I started another.  Here it is in the beginning stages.  I chose a patterned background fabric this time.  Here you can see I have laid out my first layer of fabric collage.  I stitch down with raw edges, using a zig zag stitch.  There's also a bit of decorative machine stitching at this point.

I know it doesn't look like much right now!  You might say it just looks like a bunch of fabrics that don't go together, but remember - this is only the first layer.

Next, I start adding the second layer with a little more fabric collage.  This time I use smaller pieces of fabric to "decorate" the background.  These are not all sewn down yet. I like to move them around and play with my options before I commit.

That's where it stands now.  The next step is hand stitching with embroidery floss.  Love doing that while on the couch in the evenings.

What are you working on?

Linking up with Show and Tell Saturday at Artists in Blogland

Wild Crazy Pillow

I've been on a wild crazy stitching adventure and it resulted in this pillow.  This is all done with raw edge applique, hand embroidery/quilting, and decorative machine stitches.  The background fabric is from an old pair of pants.

 I loved the pace of going back and forth between hand stitching and machine stitching.  I just kept going back and forth, adding more fabric pieces, stitching or embellishment until it felt "finished."

I really didn't know how I was going to finish it until I did, LOL.  It turned out to be a pillow!

I love the embroidery stitching as quilting on the print fabrics!

Playing with the decorative stitches on my Bernina was fun, too.

 This was such a fun and creative project.  I'd love to do another.

I'm linking up with Artists in Blogland Show and tell Saturday.  And we did it Wednesday at sew Much Ado.

Stitching Fun!

Inspired by Teesha Moore and her fabric journals video, I am trying out this technique.  Here is what I have so far.

I started making these a bout a month ago - just taking it very slowly.

 I love the rough, chunky, hand-hewn look that you get from the raw edges and using 6 or twelve strands of the floss.  And I am TOTALLY in love with all the color!

I've tried doing the random stitches that Teesha often uses, but I prefer straight line stitches on printed fabrics.

  I started out sewing the completed pillows together by hand, but then tried it by machine using a zig zag stitch and decided I liked that better.  It does flatten them out a bit at the seams but I kind of like it that way.
Not sure what this is going to be . . . a bag? . . . a bookcover/journalcover?  . . . a pillow?  Let's just see where it leads.  I am just enjoying the hand stitching with embroidery thread - very easy and relaxing.

More little "pillows" awaiting stitching!